Purpose of the Adultery Test in Numbers 5

[tonychanyt]

Berean Standard Bible, Numbers 5:

14 if a feeling of jealousy comes over her husband and he suspects his wife who has defiled herself—or if a feeling of jealousy comes over him and he suspects her even though she has not defiled herself— 15then he is to bring his wife to the priest.

The husband was suspicious and jealous. He wanted to ask God about it. That's the husband's perspective.

Now, let's look at the wife's perspective:

16 The priest is to bring the wife forward and have her stand before the LORD.

That's serious.

17 Then he is to take some holy water in a clay jar and put some of the dust from the tabernacle floor into the water.

That's intimidating whether or not you were guilty.

18 After the priest has the woman stand before the LORD, he is to let down her hair and place in her hands the grain offering of memorial, which is the grain offering for jealousy. The priest is to hold the bitter water that brings a curse.

The test was an ordeal.

19 And he is to put the woman under oath and say to her, ‘If no other man has slept with you and you have not gone astray and become defiled while under your husband’s authority, may you be immune to this bitter water that brings a curse.

If you were innocent, that's somewhat comforting. Still, you had to drink the bitter water that brings a curse.

20 But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority and have defiled yourself and lain carnally with a man other than your husband’— 21and the priest shall have the woman swear under the oath of the curse—‘then may the LORD make you an attested curse among your people by making your thigh shrivel and your belly swell. 22May this water that brings a curse enter your stomach and cause your belly to swell and your thigh to shrivel.’

That's scary if you take the name of the LORD seriously.

Then the woman is to say, ‘Amen, Amen.’

You had to agree with the curse.

I think the ordeal of jealousy was meant to deter guilty women from finishing the test. At any point, she could chicken out and confess. If a guilty woman was brazen enough to follow through with it, basically daring God, it was up to God how he would punish her or not. The bitter water wasn't meant to be some kind of magical formula.